Soraia

Not to be confused with the Colombian rock en español/Latin pop star Soraya (who had a major hit in Latin America with "Llevame" in 2005), Soraia operates as a Philadelphia-based alternative rock/post-grunge outfit fronted by lead vocalist ZouZou Mansour (an expressive, big-voiced singer with a gutsy, edgy, gritty, forceful style). The group fuses loud, hard-rocking aggression with highly melodic, hook-driven songwriting while drawing from an eclectic mix of '70s, '80s, and '90s sources. Their sound reflects the impact of L7, Concrete Blonde, Nirvana, Sonic Youth, and Hüsker Dü alongside the Pretenders, Chrissie Hynde, and Patti Smith. PJ Harvey also shaped the band's direction, though Francia's vocals favor a direct, straightforward delivery over stream-of-consciousness or impressionistic phrasing. Although Soraia clearly belongs to the post-'80s alternative rock lineage, the Philadelphians additionally draw inspiration from metal, punk, and new wave acts active prior to Nirvana's emergence and the 1991 release of the mega-platinum Nevermind, which reshaped the rock landscape and sidelined many '80s acts from MTV rotation. Soraia has benefited from Nevermind's influence while recognizing that rock history predates that 1991 landmark.

Before joining Soraia, Sue Francia worked in education as head of the English department at Nazareth Academy, an all-girl Catholic high school in northeastern Philly. Around 2001 she resigned to focus on music and formed Soraia alongside her brother, guitarist Joe Francia. After performing throughout the Philly area in 2002 and 2003, the Francia siblings auditioned and added bassist Travis Smith and drummer Jeff Valcarel in July 2004. Valcarel, who started playing drums at age four, has named Stewart Copeland (formerly of the Police) and Stephen Perkins of Jane's Addiction as primary drumming influences. With the lineup stabilized, Soraia recorded its debut album, Dirty Like Soraia, issued on the band's own Soraia Music label in summer 2005. In March 2006 the group announced plans to record with veteran producer/engineer Obie O'Brien, recognized for his contributions to Jon Bon Jovi and Alice Cooper (including engineering on the Desmond Child-produced 1989 album Trash), April Wine, Gorky Park, and Shootyz Groove. Following 2007's Shed the Skin, the band maintained relentless touring that included a 2009 opening slot for Bon Jovi at Milwaukee's Summerfest while continuing to play small, gritty clubs.

The 2011 compilation (A Lotta!) Singles appeared next. Two years later, after heavy roadwork, the band delivered its next studio album, In the Valley of Love and Guns, then released another studio set, the paradoxically titled Soraia Lives!, in 2014. That album incorporated covers of David Bowie's "Cat People (Putting Out Fires with Gasoline)" and a punk rendition of the Kinks' "(I'm Not) Like Everybody Else" issued as a single; it remained on the South American charts for ten weeks. The EP Less Than Zero arrived in 2015 during continued touring, and the following year the single "Electrocutioner" was named "#1 Coolest Song of the Year" by Little Steven Van Zandt's Underground Garage Sirius/XM program. Van Zandt subsequently signed Soraia to his Wicked Cool label. Early in 2017 the band entered Renegade Nation Studios in New York City, where Van Zandt produced two tracks—a cover of Prince's "Wow" and his own composition "Why," written specifically for the group. Soraia co-produced the remaining material with Geoff Sanoff. The pre-release single and video "Quicksand" surfaced in September, followed by the full-length Dead Reckoning in October.